By Jonathan Day     

    TOKYO, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Millions of people across Japan on Sunday paid homage to the people who lost their lives in the Great Hanshin Earthquake, which leveled the western port city of Kobe 15-years ago to the day.

    Ceremonies commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake began on Saturday across the country, with local primary school students from Kobe's neighboring Amagasaki City banding together to build 49 small "kamakura" snow huts in Tachibana Park, to commemorate the 49 residents of the city who lost their lives in the 1995 disaster.

    Up to 30 tons of snow was used to build the mini-igloos, and alongside the primary school children, a solo workman from Akita Prefecture also created a 3-meter-high snow hut, further adding tothe poignancy of the monument and the moment.

    At 5:46 p.m., exactly 12 hours before the time the earthquake struck 15-years ago, candles were lit inside the snow huts -- the warm incandescent glow evoking mixed feelings of grief, pain, solace and hope in the hundreds of onlookers.

    In another touching tribute, just before sunrise on Sunday hundreds of people gathered at Higashi-Yuenchi Park in central Kobe to light bamboo lanterns.

    The shape of the lanterns, once lit, could be seen to spell out"1995" and "1.17" -- ceremoniously marking the year and date the earthquake devastated the city and surrounding areas.     

    UNITED WE STAND

    People prayed and mourned the losses of loved ones in front of the lanterns, but along with the torrents of tears was a shared sense of optimism that the lives lost in the disaster were not completely in vein.

    The citizens of Kobe and the surrounding areas that were also left in ruins after the quake, particularly the survivors and the bereaved, are a testament to how communities can, not only bond together to rebuild their shattered lives, but can also act as a source of hope and encouragement to individuals, cities and countries around the globe, like the people of Haiti who are currently suffering unimaginable hardships following Tuesday's massive earthquake that decimated the Republic.

    "Returning to my home town in Tarumi at this time of the year is always an emotional experience," advertising executive Noriyuki Arai, 38, told Xinhua in an interview on Sunday.

    "But at the same time it's something of a reunion as I meet my family, neighbors and old friends. Of course it's a sad occasion as we've all lost people close to us, but we draw strength from each other too."

    "I live in Tokyo now but it's at this time each year when I feel closest to my family and friends and I sense it's the same for everyone who suffered through the tragedy -- we all become one, there are no strangers and this is what helps people deal with their grief," he explained.

    Following the lantern homage, a city-hosted memorial ceremony was held, and Kobe Mayor Tatsuo Yada offered his condolences to the families of those killed in the disaster and mentioned the continuous threat that earthquakes pose, not just to Japan, but to other countries like Haiti.

    "Overseas, just a few days ago, a powerful earthquake struck Haiti, and serious disasters have occurred in other regions as well, forcing us to realize that we are always fraught with the dangers of disasters." Yada said.

    More than 400 people, including Crown Prince Naruhito, Princess Masako and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, attended the official ceremony held on Sunday.

    "The image of the people trying to overcome difficulties is deeply etched in my memory," the prince said at the liturgy.

    Hatoyama, in his address added, "It is an important political role to make the nation well-prepared for a natural disaster and protect human lives." The Prime Minister also offered his sincerest condolences to those who had lost loved ones and applauded the people of the city for their continued plight to overcome adversity and their efforts to educate others.     

    LESSONS LEARNED

    The Great Hanshin earthquake struck at 5:46 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1995, ultimately taking the lives of 6,434 people in the Kansai region.

    A total of 240,956 buildings were completely or partly destroyed in Hyogo Prefecture as a result and 7,534 burned down. The quake also forced 316,678 people to move to 1,153 evacuation centers.

    In the days, weeks and months following the quake, local and central government officials were harshly criticized for their slow response and inefficient work, with groups of first-time volunteers being central to initial and ongoing relief efforts at the time, as Arai remembers.

    "We, the people of Hyogo Prefecture, were horrified by the lack of support during the disaster, some people still feel very bitter about it. In the days following the earthquake the sights I saw still give me nightmares and everyone was asking, 'where's the help? Where are the rescue teams? What's everyone waiting for?'"

    "We felt alone, scared, forgotten and angry. Everything was in ruins. But over the years we've come to realize that the mistakes made during that time, will save lives in the future, and although it was a tragedy, it led to improvements," he said.

    Such improvements have been central to the work of Professor Kawata, a prominent professor in the field of disaster risk reduction at Kyoto University, who established the Disaster Reduction Museum in Kobe, and has carried out numerous research projects on the lessons learnt from the earthquake regarding response, reconstruction and restoration.

    "Our central and local governments have adopted a disaster reduction strategy covering the next 10 years or more. Long-term perspectives are very important in the successful promotion of issues like disaster warning and retrofitting houses," said Kuwatain an interview conducted by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

    "We have learned many lessons from the Kobe earthquake that canbe communicated to others and it is very important to transfer these lessons to the next generation and to the rest of the world. The Kobe Earthquake museum houses the living memory of what should never happen again."

    "We want to motivate citizens and visitors to take a sincere interest in, deliberate upon, and understand the importance of disaster reduction, the preciousness of human life, and the value of our mutual dependence as human beings," he said.

    "You never truly recover from such a traumatic event, but people the world over should always be prepared, because tragedy strikes without notice," said Arai.

    "As for the people of Kobe, we are resilient and optimistic. We will never forget the events of 15 years ago, but we all try to look to the future with hope and promise and try to pass this sense of hope on to others," he concluded.